It was now around 9:30, Dale and I had spoken on the phone for like 2 hours, only ending when I was called downstairs. He was coming over this Saturday with Charlie for another 'girls day' and again next Saturday during the day before Toby came, I was going to invite everyone else as well. I text the group chat we have on Snapchat that Toby had made ages ago. He had named it the untouchables after I had told him that's what I had known them as for the beginning of my time here.

I get replies instantly, the group chat was extremely active.

I roll my eyes at Aiden and Blake but find myself excited. Maybe the guys would love Dale and he could join our little gang. I hoped so. I felt like most of the guys would like him, but maybe not Luke or Aiden. Luke would probably get jealous and Aiden seemed to be pissed every time I brought him up.

Groaning at myself I walk into my room, I was wearing my pajamas and it was time for me to lie in bed and read. How fucking good that sounded. With all this Aiden drama, I hadn't really had as much time to read lately as I would have liked.

I open my door open and go to change my shirt considering I had spilled some dinner on it, eating spaghetti was messy!! Anyone sane would agree.

"Wow Collins, putting on a show for me?!" I hear from my bed.

I jump in fright and have to put my hand over my mouth to refrain from screaming. I turn around and I'm not surprised to see Aiden lying on my bed reading MY version of the first Harry Potter that I was so excited to start reading again. I had already read it but I felt like reading it again and I think we've discovered that I'm the kind of person that does things many many times. For example; watch The Vampire Diaries.

"Aiden what the fuck, how long have you been here for?" I whisper yell, I look to the window to see it was wide open as was his.

"Probably about 15 minutes, I might have to borrow this book," he smirks triumphantly.

I storm over to him and snatch MY book out of his hands before placing it back on the bedside table and turning to look at him expectantly.

"You know Collins, you should lock your window, creeps can get in," he smirks widely, loving the reaction he gets out of me.

"Obviously," I mumble, not expecting him to hear me, but the way his smirk impossibly widens he did.

"Well if you don't want me here I'll just go but I was just going to tell you that I'll take you to the tracks next Tuesday, but obviously you don't care," he smirks and he goes to jump back over to his room, using the same tactics on me that he probably uses on the twins.

It works.

"Wait, come back," I reply instantly, smiling brightly and grabbing his arm to pull him back on the bed beside me. Aiden just smirks. What a surprise.

"Really?" I ask excitedly.

"Only if you want to," Aiden smirks, knowing how much I actually did.

"Yes!!" I jump, attacking him once again by jumping on him in an awkward positioned hug. Let me just say, jumping on people to hug them is a lot easier when you stand. He held my waist securely but my body was in an awkward position where I must have been in some kind of obtuse angle.

"Em? Baby?" My mom calls from the door, Aiden and I look at each other in panic before I push him into my connected bathroom and close the door just in time for me to sit back down, open my Harry Potter book and sit on my bed.

"Hi mom," I reply when she opens the door.

"Hi baby, I just wanted to let you know I brought you that period stuff, I got you the super ones because I know how heavy yours can get, I also got you tampons so you can swim next week when Dale and your friends come over, and I got you some strong pain killers from the pharmacist, the nice lady said they were really good and should definitely work. I'll just put these in your bathroom," my mom continues before she looks at me, "wow you've read that fast, didn't you just start that book?"

"No!!" I reply too quickly, "I mean my bathroom is really messy, I'll put them away, and I skipped the first few chapters, I already know what happens" I try and cover-up, my cheeks probably redder than a fire truck.

"Oh okay, well if you need anything let me know. Chocolate in the cupboard, the high one so Elijah can't find it and Robert doesn't know about it," my mother winks.

If I wasn't in this position, I'd love my mom. But right now the only emotion I could feel was embarrassment.

"Thanks mom," is all I can manage, as she passes me the shopping bag with all my period stuff.

"By the way, tell Aiden he can come out now, I'm leaving." My mom winks.

CODE RED - COVER IS BLOWN.

I REPEAT, COVER BLOWN.

Aiden walks out of my bathroom, red tinging his cheeks and gives an awkward wave to my mom who just smiles cheekily and walks away.

I drop the bag on the floor and fall dramatically on my bed. I grab my pillow and cover my face with it, hoping my blush will fade.

"That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever experienced," I groan to Aiden. I feel him fall beside me.

"You think? I had to hear your mom talk about your heavy period only to find out she knew I was there," Aiden groans.

His uncomfortableness makes me chuckle a little, I was happy to know I wasn't the only one completely and utterly embarrassed about the whole situation.

"So a heavy flow huh?" Aiden smirks beside me, obviously coming out of his embarrassment.

Needless to say the pillow originally on my face is now slapping him on the stomach.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Aiden apologizes, more comfortable than his apology previously today.

"For what? Being a complete dick with double standards or just plain being a complete dick?" I smirk at him, although I make it obvious I was joking

"Don't push it," Aiden smirks.

"Your helmet," I remember suddenly, grabbing it from where it lay in my wardrobe and passing it to Aiden.

"Thanks," he smirks.

Fuck does he know how to do anything but smirk?!

"Where did you even go?" I ask, lying back down beside him.

Aiden freezes momentarily before he relaxes; "the cliffs."

I nod, but I'm unsure if he sees.

"So, pool party next Saturday," Aiden smirks, a part of me thinks it's to change the subject but naive me wouldn't know for sure, wow maybe I am becoming psychic.

"Yup, well if you call our group a party," I laugh.

"Our group plus Dale," Aiden replies, making it obvious that Dale wasn't in the group.

"Why do you hate him so much?" I ask curiously.

"I don't know, it's so obvious he's into you," Aiden replies, still looking at my roof.

"I can assure you he's not," I laugh. Ahhh just if he knew.

Aiden doesn't reply but he looks at me strangely.

"So what happens next week?" I ask excitedly.

"I'll come in here at maybe 8:15 on the Tuesday?" Aiden responds, "They generally start around 9."

"I'm excited," I reply happily.

"I know, you shouldn't be," Aiden responds absentmindedly.

"Why?" I ask curiously.

"It's not a nice place, bad people," he responds.

"Are you suggesting Luke is bad?" I ask jokingly, referring to the fact that Luke races there also.

"Okay, majority of people there are bad," Aiden smirks. I smile, the familiar Aiden is back.

"Are you going to Luke's game next Thursday?" I ask curiously, he didn't seem like the kind of guy that supported school gatherings.

"I don't know, you?" He asks.

"Yeah, Luke and Charlie are both performing, I have to be there, Dale is going to come with me," I smile.

"Then I'm not going," Aiden replies straight away.

"Oh come on," I beg, sue me, I wanted the guy I like to be there.

Aiden gives me an unpromising look but doesn't say anything, "what about Ryans party, you going to that?"

"Yeah apparently, I promised Charlie and Dale I'd go, if I go then Luke will and then Charlie can spend time with him," I respond, telling him the plan Charlie and Dale made earlier.

"If you don't want to go, then don't," Aiden shrugs like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I have to help Charlie and Luke get together, I promised. Plus who knows, it might be surprisingly fun," I reply, I didn't want to go but I knew I had to for Charlie, "are you going?"

"Probably, someones got to babysit a drunk Toby," he smirks. I laugh at the thought.

I go to say something when my phone chimes, I grab it from my bedside table and the carefree mood suddenly disappears;

I freeze, I had completely forgotten about him and the last message I got from him. Aiden obviously notices my change in attitude because he gently takes my phone and reads the message for himself. He looks confused.

"Who's Candice and the kids?" he asks gently, carefully like I would break at any time. And he was right to be careful. Stupid period. Stupid biological father.

"Candice is the girl he cheated on mom with when Maddi was sick and the kids are her young children, they're probably around 6 and 8 now," I reply as the tears build up in my eyes. Why is it that every time I'm getting over him, he does that and makes me fucking remember all over again.

I don't know why I cared so much, I shouldn't. Robert was a better dad to me and Elijah than my father ever was. Even when he was physically around, emotionally he never was. Then he left us all when we needed him the most. I didn't even realize that I was crying until Aiden pulled me into a hug.

I hated myself that Aiden had always seen me at my most vulnerable, it made me feel weak and I definitely wasn't that. I was strong, I had to be for my family's sake. So why was I so weak around Aiden?!

I hear the door open, and then feel myself being moved from Aiden's chest to one with a much larger chest. The hug was extremely familiar and I recognized it as my mother almost instantly.

"What happened?" My mom asks, but I can tell she's asking Aiden and not me. My tears keep coming and I want to murder myself for being so weak in front of both Aiden and my mom. I had always kept it together for my mother, I was and had always been the rock of the family and even further than that, Miles for example, and saved all my tears for Luke and Charlie.

I feel movement on the bed and I assume that's because Aiden is showing my mother the messages.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I know you don't want to hear this probably as much as I don't want to say it but he's still your father, and it might be good for you to see him again," my mother soothes. My cry becomes more intense, she was wrong, I want nothing to do with him.

After a few minutes of my mother holding me and Aiden awkwardly patting my shoulder, my sobs become less prominent. I still lay on my mom's chest when Aiden interrupts; "should I call Charlie, or maybe Luke, or even Dale to stay with her the night?" He asks, the difficulty in which he suggests Dale makes me laugh a little.

My mom stays quiet for a minute before I feel her kiss my head, "Aiden if you wouldn't mind, maybe you could stay? If you're uncomfortable to then I completely understand." My mother rants, I lift my head up in surprise. By the looks of it, Aiden was also surprised.

"Um yeah for sure, if it's okay with Em," he replies, looking at me. My mom also turns to look at me expectantly.

"Um I don't mind...I guess," I reply awkwardly, my mother just asked the guy I like to stay over the night. Granted, she didn't know that I liked him but still.

"Okay, well just keep the door open please," my mother smiles at me gently before she also smiles at Aiden, I nod absentmindedly, still in shock and Aiden doesn't say anything, he too was assumably still surprised, "and don't tell Robert." My mother winks.

We both nod before my mother leaves my room, leaving me alone with the guy I was madly crushing on.

"You alright Collins?" Aiden asks again.

"Just peachy," I reply sarcastically.

"Let's lie down," Aiden smirks before taking his shirt off, leaving him in only his grey sweat pants.

"I have to get changed, I can't sleep in this," I reply, gesturing to my stained shirt and trackies of my own.

"I'd prefer you slept naked," Aiden smirks.

And the caring and sweet Aiden has disappeared. That's okay, I seemed to like this one just as much.

I roll my eyes but fight a smile at how easy Aiden can unawkward the situation. Yes, I am aware that I probably just made up a word.

I grab my real pajamas which consisted of short shorts and a crop top and walk into my bathroom to get changed. I was not giving Aiden an actual show.

I walk back out after throwing my clothes into the dirty clothes pile and lie on the bed beside Aiden who was playing on his phone.

"I think I need to go home and grab my charger," Aiden groans dramatically.

"Can I do it?!" I ask excitedly, he made it seem so easy that time he had to get rid of Norman and I've kind of wanted to have a go ever since.

Aiden gives me a strange look; "sure?"

"How do I do it?!" I jump excitedly.

"You don't even know how to do it?!" Aiden asks, obviously astonished.

"I'm a quick learner," I respond shrugging.

Aiden looks at me again but then shakes his head and walks over to me, probably to explain what to do. He tells me what branches to stand on and I begin the climb, obviously after asking him where his charger was.